Have you heard this a lot lately? “Peyton Manning is on pace to throw for almost a billion yards and a million touchdowns this year, which would shatter both single-season records.” I thought so. It’s true, but Manning gave Denver Broncos fans a scare in Week 10 when he was hit in the knees twice and got up gingerly in a tough win over the San Diego Chargers. Put simply, the Broncos can kiss the Super Bowl goodbye if that doesn’t change.

Look, Manning is the best quarterback in NFL history at getting rid of the ball on time, so you can’t blame him. Sure, the Broncos’ o-line has suffered some injuries this year, but when you’re protection the greatest signal-caller of all time, you find a way. He gets rid of the ball in four seconds or left on every attempt and if an offensive lineman can’t hold his block for that long, he shouldn’t be playing in the pros.

Manning and the Broncos may set all kinds of offensive records this year, but that won’t mean anything if they can’t keep Manning upright. He’s carrying this team right now with its pathetic defense, but he’s got to have some help from somebody. We’ll find out if he gets it next week against the league’s best defense.